Profile / United States
Johanna Westin, LCSW
Illinois
LCSW - Stress and Trauma focused
See online therapy options- CBT methods
- Trauma work
- Mindfulness skills
About Johanna
Johanna Westin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Illinois with 15 years of clinical experience. She focuses on practical problems such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, low self-esteem, and coping with life changes.
She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and has delivered individual, family, and group therapy. That range gives her experience with different kinds of sessions and common challenges people bring to therapy. Johanna often sees concerns related to relationships, parenting, grief, career strain, and compassion fatigue.
Her style is straightforward and down to earth. She favors clear, structured work and aims to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and habits. Johanna uses approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered techniques, DBT skills, EMDR, and mindfulness where they fit the client's goals.
In sessions she focuses on what matters most to the person in front of her. She helps set practical goals, practices new responses, and checks what is and isn’t working. Progress is viewed as a series of steps rather than a single event.
Parents and adults often come to her for help with blended family issues, communication problems, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, guilt and shame, and recovery after sexual assault. She works with individuals on building self-love, improving communication, and managing everyday stressors.
To begin, she asks people to describe their main concerns and goals so the work can be matched to those priorities. Johanna aims to keep the process clear and focused while adjusting methods as needed.
How her approaches translate to online work
Johanna commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and test unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT focuses on small experiments and concrete skills for managing anxiety, depression, and stress. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes listening and responding to a person's concerns in a nonjudgmental way to build trust and direction.She draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance when those are helpful. DBT offers step-by-step skills people can practice between sessions to reduce panic attacks, manage anger, and cope with intense feelings.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Johanna will discuss goals and preferences and choose methods together with the client. That collaborative process helps shape which tools and exercises to focus on and how quickly to shift strategies.
Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so confirm current online options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a weeknight or work break, allow shorter check-ins when something specific needs attention, and remove travel time. Many people appreciate being able to practice skills from their daily routines while meeting with a licensed professional.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with most often?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem, relationship and family problems, grief, parenting, career challenges, and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is down to earth and straightforward. She uses clear, structured approaches and practical exercises to change thoughts and habits.
How much experience does she have as a therapist?
She has 15 years of experience working in both inpatient and outpatient settings with individual, family, and group therapy.
What credential and region does she practice in?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with clients outside the United States?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.